Bloom
by letsdosomeliving
Summary: Who knew Pink and Yellow could be such a good combination? Based on the 2017 Power Rangers movie.
1. your voice, my favorite sound

_A/N: Because I love them._

 _(The song used is Wonderful Life, by Katie Melua, and obviously, Titanium.)_

* * *

 _ **.**_

 _ **your voice, my favorite sound**_

 _ **.**_

The first time she heard her sing was late at night, with the full moon reflecting in the cold water of the lake Trini now knows to be one of Kim's favorite spots.

She remembers walking along the forbidden premises of the still mine, headphones slung around her neck to give her already ringing ears a much needed break from the loud drums, screeching guitars and screaming voices. The air was still and warm, but her hands were still buried in the pockets of her yellow jacket and beanie slipped onto her head. She walked and walked, trying to stop her mind from going back to the argument she had had with her mother earlier that evening, the one they seemed to have every night. As usual though, her head wouldn't allow that.

 _Why are you the way you are? What's wrong with you? Why can't you be the daughter we want and had so desperately wished for?_

Of course those were never the actual words that left her mom's mouth, but they might as well had been.

So as she mindlessly traveled around the place she always came to when she needed a breather, and the floor beneath her feet changed from hard gravel to soft grass, Trini heard it.

Her brows furrowed at the soft bass line, and as curiosity got the best of her, she followed the sound deeper into the little wooden area. Getting closer to the source, Trini recognized the song playing to be one of those bubblegum pop songs she avoided like the plaque and rolled her eyes at the sound, before figuring she might as well turn around before her ears might fall off.

But then the song changed. And she heard that voice.

A shiver shook her body, the hairs on her arms rose underneath her jacket, and her breath hitched in her throat.

 _Gulls in the sky and in my blue eyes, you know it feels unfair, there's magic everywhere._

Trini swallowed and with bunched up hands, she slowly walked closer. Her heart puckered like crazy, more out of excited curiosity than anything else, but that changed as soon as she found the owner of the voice that made her want to investigate.

Kimberly Hart.

 _Look at me standing, here on my own again._

A very sparsely dressed Kimberly Hart.

She stood by a lake, nothing but a pink bikini on her body, her long dark hair wet and quickly being tied into a messy ponytail by Kim's hands. Who on earth would have figured that one of the most popular girls in school, one of the prettiest ones too, would have such a lovely voice? _Some people just have everything._

 _The sun's in your eyes, the heat is in your hair. They seem to hate you… because you're there._

Her hips seamlessly moved with the beat, her hands securing her hair in the hair tie, before she lifted them over her head and gave the song her all. Trini swallowed again, attempting to focus on solely her voice and not the little droplets still shining on her skin and slipping down tan shoulders and arms, but she found it incredibly hard from keeping her eyes from not noticing it.

 _I need a friend, oh, I need a friend. To make me happy._

Trini left then, quietly but as quickly as she could, the heat on her face making sure to keep her warm well into the night.

 **x**

"Sorry."

Kimberly flashed an apologetic smile over her shoulder before rushing out of the door and Trini's initial irritation of having her hip gently collide with the doorway dispersed immediately as images and sounds from that one night flashed up in her mind.

 **x**

 _I do not have a crush on Kimberly Hart. I do not have a crush on Kimberly Hart. I do not have a crush on Kim-_

She told herself this every night when she went to sleep, before she dreamt of that voice and eyes and smile and _her_.

 **x**

Trini still visited the mine all the time, but she didn't dare to go near that damn lake again.

 **x**

She didn't see her – _as fucking usual_ – but in return Trini saw her all the more as she strutted down the stairs after being gone for a few minutes, with a confidence so enticing and hair suddenly so much shorter.

The classroom erupted into calls of approval and disbelief and Kim smirked and flipped her hair as she sat down and the teacher told everyone to quieten down, and there really was no denying anymore.

 _I most definitely do have a crush on Kimberly Hart._

 **x**

With a scowl on her face she looked down the cliff Billy, Zack and Jason had jumped off of and then moved her gaze to the only other remaining person standing with her. Kim's smile fell when she saw there to be no hope in getting one in return, and Trini turned to leave when Kim stopped her.

"Hey, can I get a sip of your water? I'm dying."

Trini glowered at her, but who was she to deny her this simple request when she was so nice and pretty and- _Just give her the damn water._ Begrudgingly she reached for the water bottle stashed in the side of her backpack and stepped closer to hand it to the other girl. "Okay, just don't finish it."

"Thanks," she said with a smile, then, "And, I'm really sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

Trini surely didn't expect to plummet down into what could be her sure death, but all her stupid brain could think of were Kim's arms around her and her stupid short hair tickling her nose.

 _What a bitch._

 **x**

"Why do you guys keep looking at each other? Is that some sort of human thing?"

But even with the little robot questioning them, Kimberly's eyes refused to leave Trini's, which made her a little less scared.

 **x**

Her eyes caught Trini's all the time.

Sometimes she would turn in Biology class and wouldn't turn back around until she got a smile in return, which Trini couldn't help but to always give her.

 **x**

"This whole thing with… being responsible for earth's fate and Rita supposedly coming in a few days, not being able to morph… it's a lot, you know? For all of us." Trini nodded and tried to do her best to swallow the panic rising inside of her at the mention of every single human life depending on them. Kim seemed to do the same but still sent her a weak smile, before turning away from her.

Trini seized that opportunity to observe – her friend, classmate, fellow Ranger, what? – _Kimberly_ , took the chance to look at her slumped shoulders, tense forehead, and worried eyes, and frowned at the sight. It's not something that should be put on the shoulders of five teenagers and on more than one occasion she had wondered why the coins decided to find them of all people. Why not someone else? People, people who might have been more suitable? But every time she thought this, she realized that there must have been a reason. This was their fate. They _were_ the Power Rangers.

But she hated that, upon looking at the girl that had given her so much confidence the last few days, that had been giving her comfort with just a look, she saw that she actually wasn't so sure about what Trini herself knew had to be true. Sighing quietly, she looked at the remains of the donut she and Kimberly shared.

They were done with feeling helpless.

The forceful way the fork drove through the baked good and hit the wooden table underneath with a dull thud brought Kim's attention back and after a short moment of confusion, she did exactly what Trini had hoped she would. They playfully fought over the donut, practicing small moves and training their reflexes, and at the end there was a smile on both of their faces.

Kim's face had never looked more beautiful.

 **x**

"You're not going home?"

Looking over her shoulder, Trini squinted against the setting sun and lifted her mouth into half a smile when she saw Kimberly approaching. She thought everyone had already left and hoped they wouldn't notice her staying behind. "Not yet."

With a nod and smile, Kim closed the distance between them and stopped right next to her. "Crazy, isn't it? We did it," she said while looking at the remains of the town. Trini watched her instead. Awe filled the pink Ranger's face and her brows creased as she shook her head. "I can't believe we did it."

A smirk pulled at Trini's lips. "Well, you better." But the smile on Kim's face quickly got replaced by a grimace as Trini playfully bumped her shoulder with hers. "Sorry."

Kim shook her head, forced a smile through the pain she was feeling while reaching up to gently massage her shoulder with her hand. Trini's eyes couldn't help but stay glued to Kimberly's flexing fingers, and followed them as the girl moved her hand up the side of her neck.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

Sucking in her bottom lip, Trini let her eyes wander up the other girl's neck, over plump lips – where she _did_ linger a bit… - before meeting Kim's gaze… that she now realized had been fixed on her the entire time. Looking away, Trini blinked rapidly and glanced at her shifting feet.

"I'm fine." _Idiot._ Trini cleared her throat from the embarrassment. "Guess I'm much stronger than you, princess."

An offended gasp reached her ears and a smirk pulled her lips upwards when she looked up and saw Kim staring at her with an open mouth, the corners lifted. "Battle injuries are _cool_ injuries. Guess I'm much cooler than you."

She snorted. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Kim simply grinned and then, taking Trini completely off guard, she leaned forward, close to her face… and started to sing quietly. " _You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you say_. _Talking loud, not saying much_."

There was no way she could possibly ignore the huge butterfly wings batting against the walls of her stomach, not when this voice had been the start of everything and certainly not when this time around Kim was singing only for her. " _I'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochet_ ," she sung, while stepping back and pretending to brush dust from her injured shoulder. Then, once she reached the chorus, she made a show of stretching her arms out as wide as she could, wincing in pain but laughing it off while loudly singing that she was, in fact, titanium.

This was the second time Trini had heard Kimberly Hart sing… and she never wanted it to end.


	2. choosing you is what i'd always do

**.**

 _ **choosing you is what i'd always do**_

 _ **.**_

Zack found out before Trini was ready for it.

"Yo, crazy girl!"

The sudden pain in her back brought a hiss from Trini's mouth. Her fists clenched by her side and eyes squeezed shut, she pressed herself against the hard stone wall she had crashed into and stayed there for a moment longer in hopes that it was just a momentary feeling that would subside as quickly as it came. "Sorry, I thought you'd dodge!"

One last strong sting shot up her spine before she felt only a dull throb, which finally made it okay enough to crack her eyes open. Zack was towering in front of her with his hands braced on his knees, deep concern on his face as his eyes flicked all over Trini's. "You okay?"

Blowing out a breath, she nodded. "Fine."

Her back was screaming as Zack helped her up and for a moment she felt his arms tighten around her. "You don't really seem fine."

But before she could argue, the others were already huddling around them, with worry on their faces and a waterfall of concerned babbling flowing out of Billy's mouth. "I'm fine," Trini insisted when Jason started to join in as well with concerned questions about her well-being. Pushing herself out of Zack's supporting embrace, she winced as she stretched. "I dodged one of Zack's kicks a little too late but I'm totally fine. No big deal."

"You should take it easy though," Jason advised, the worried creases on his forehead not yet disappearing. "We'll call it a day for today."

No one complained and slowly gathered their things so they could leave. Once they were back on top, Billy hesitantly hooked his arm through Trini's, mumbling something to himself about "supporting injured friends" and shooting her a small grin when she smiled at him in surprise. She remembered days where she would push everyone who would have even attempted something like this so hard away from her with just a simple glance, but this is Billy, and she adored Billy, and Billy could do whatever he wanted and she'd accept it with no questions asked.

Her attempt at thanking him got stuck in her throat however when she felt another arm snaking around her left one, without hesitance and much tighter than Billy's. Kim's dark eyes glittered at her, as did the smile she sent her. "Next time you'll train with me again," she said, before glancing back and grinning teasingly. Her voice grew a bit louder. "She never gets hurt with me."

Zack scoffed from behind them. "Because you're not as _strong_ as me."

When Trini craned her neck to look at him, he flexed his arms in a dramatic fashion… before tripping, and almost falling flat on his face if Jason hadn't grabbed him at the last second. He pouted at the loud laughter he received from his friends, brushed the dirt from his knee that had touched the ground in his graceful fall, and playfully glared at Kimberly.

"Don't try to steal my crazy girl from me, Hart."

"I doubt she has to be stolen away," she quipped back but looked at Trini instead, the dazzling grin on her face reminding Trini of the ever so present infatuation she had with this girl. And it was only getting worse, day by day and with every stupid smile on the ex-cheerleader's face that was shot in her direction, she realized as she stared at Kimberly with a small smile of her own. Kim raised her eyebrows. "Who do you choose, Trini?"

She could feel Kim's arm tightening around hers for a few seconds, the look on her face making her heart dizzy, _this stupid, stupid chick_! "Choosing between a princess and a doofus, tough decision." She sure hoped her voice didn't give away that the choice had already been made, even before she had ever asked. Kim just laughed and shook her head, and a sense of relief washed over Trini when the subject seemed to be dropped.

But then she saw the puzzled look on Zack's face when she caught his gaze, swallowed harshly when his eyebrow and one corner of his mouth lifted the second her face heated up.

 ** _X_**

Watching Kim had become hard when the other Rangers were around. Not that she actually ever _watched_ Kim, that would be crazy. But in case she _did_ ever want to… suddenly Zack always seemed to catch her, intensely staring at her with curiosity shining in his eyes, and Trini _hated_ that it always made her blush.

It felt like she had been caught.

 _ **X**_

"Hey, Kim?"

It was just Trini and Kim and Zack sitting at a table in the cafeteria, with Billy having to finish a project – hopefully without blowing anything up this time – and Jason being around somewhere else. Kimberly, who had been immersed in the book laid out open in front of her for the past ten minutes, looked up and raised her eyebrows at Zack to let him know she was listening. "What do you think about the color yellow?"

The soda seemed to trickle down Trini's throat so painfully slow and she resisted the urge to cough and choke, but maybe it wouldn't have been a bad idea to actually choke to death right now, because _what the hell, Zack?_ Trini's eyes glared at the side of the boy's head, but he wouldn't turn and was instead focused completely on Kimberly. Who didn't get it and was more than confused.

"Yellow?"

 _Kill me_. Zack nodded, braced his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands. He tilted his head curiously. "Do you like yellow?"

"Uh…" She hoped she wasn't blushing but even if she was, Kim was still staring at Zack with the most confused expression Trini had ever seen her wear. She sat up straight, blinked. "I guess I-" But then she stopped and her eyes snapped towards Trini and _oh my God, don't. blush_. A slow smile started to spread over Kimberly's mouth but Trini pretended not to notice by avoiding eye contact and shifting her lunch from one spot to the other. Out of her peripheral vision, Trini saw her motion towards her with one hand, while her other ran through her short hair. "How could I not?"

Now she was _most definitely_ blushing.

 _God dammit._

 _ **X**_

Zack skillfully dodged the punch Trini aimed at him, fended off the following kick, before swiftly reaching for Trini's shoulder to swivel her around and pull her back into his front to hold her captive. "Calm down there, crazy girl!"

"Why did you do that?!"

"Do what?"

Her elbow collided with Zack's stomach, hard enough to force a grunt out of him. "Kim!"

He laughed loudly and tightened his grip on the squirming girl. "I didn't do Kim, I'm pretty sure someone here would be pretty pissed if I had." Trini went completely still, only pushing out a heavy breath through her nose. "I'm right, aren't- whoa!"

Zack was suddenly flat on his back, Trini above him with her knee resting on his chest with the slightest pressure. He stared at the girl glowering down at him in amazement, before beginning to laugh. "That was… _awesome_! Best move ever!"

But Trini was less than impressed and let out a huff while removing her knee from Zack's chest and started to poke at it with her index finger instead. "Stop. meddling. in. my. business."

"Hey, I'm not meddling," he defended himself, holding his palms up next to his head, "I'm simply trying to help you get the girl."

Trini rolled her eyes and got up. " _The girl_ doesn't want me." She brushed off the dust from her pants and quickly spun around again to look down at Zack with annoyance shaping her face into a deep frown. "Besides, who even says _I_ want the girl?"

The boy on the floor chuckled, pushing himself into a sitting position. "Everything about you _screams_ it."

"Bullshit."

"Crazy girl is crazy in looove."

"I am not-" She stopped herself, closed her eyes to calm down at least a little bit. Hearing shuffling and shoes scraping against the floor, Trini figured Zack was getting up from the floor, but she kept her eyes closed. He knew. He knew she liked Kim. No one was supposed to find out that she liked Kim! Was she really that obvious?

"Look, it's totally cool that you have the hots for our pink friend. _I_ would have personally preferred you having them for the black one but-" Opening her eyes, Trini watched him stop for a second with a frown on his face, while holding his finger up. "I'm… talking about myself, not Billy."

"Of course you are," she mumbled with a roll of her eyes. She turned around then, to walk away from the abandoned railroad cart and from Zack, who was just making everything so much worse.

"Who says Kim _doesn't_ want you?"

Trini stopped. _Ridiculous._ But something inside of her, maybe curiosity, maybe hope, maybe both, made her turn around. Zack stared at her, expecting an answer. "A million reasons say so," she told him with a set jaw and hard eyes.

At first, Zack said nothing. He twisted his lips, rubbed them together, and then twisted them again. Then he shrugged his shoulders. "Or maybe that's just what you tell yourself. Maybe Kim likes you. Maybe you just need to believe that there's always a chance."

"Is that from a fortune cookie you carry around in your pocket?"

"Was that an Asian joke?"

Trini rolled her eyes. "If you tell anyone, I'll send you into space to join Rita."

"Understood."

"I mean it."

"Oh, I know, crazy girl. I _know_."


End file.
